More and more tenants threatened by poverty

Berlin – The number of renters at risk of poverty is rising. This is reported by the "Neue Osnabrücker Zeitung" (Sunday edition), citing figures obtained from the Federal Statistical Office by the Sahra Wagenknecht Alliance (BSW). According to the figures, 22.4 percent of renters were at risk of poverty last year. This represents an increase of two percentage points compared to 2023. This means that renters are disproportionately affected by the risk of poverty compared to the general population. Although the at-risk-of-poverty rate among the general population has declined slightly compared to 2021, poverty among renters is increasing. Among homeowners, the risk of falling into poverty has decreased in recent years. In 2024, the share was 8.3 percent, compared to 10.9 percent three years earlier. "If almost one in four tenants is now at risk of poverty, then that is a shameful indictment of the housing policy of recent years. The new federal government is also doing far too little," commented Sahra Wagenknecht, chairwoman of the BSW (Federal Association of German Housing and Urban Development). The rent control is almost ineffective. "Rent is increasingly becoming a risk of poverty," the BSW head told NOZ. Wagenknecht continued: "In all regions where it is no longer possible to afford adequate housing on a normal income, rents should be frozen at least until 2030." Larger parts of the housing market must be subjected to the rules of non-profit organizations again. Furthermore, politicians must stimulate housing construction "through public and non-profit housing companies and promote it through low-interest loans."